From porridge to ports, new restaurant/wine bar opens at Ninth and New Hampshire

Some restaurants hang dollar bills from their walls, while others hang windows from their ceilings.

What? You haven’t heard of that? It is the thing at downtown Lawrence’s newest restaurant, Loopy’s, which is on the ground floor of the 901 Building at Ninth and New Hampshire.

If you remember, we reported back in September that a trio of restaurant and marketing executives had teamed up to sign a deal to locate a new restaurant/wine bar in a corner of the multi-story apartment and office building.

Well, the business is having its soft opening today and expects to roll out its full menu and bar later this week. But what it already has in great supply are windows. There are dozens and dozens of windows suspended from the ceiling and hanging from the walls of the restaurant.

Billy Pilgrim, a Lawrence marketing executive and one of the co-owners of the business, said the design fits in well with the restaurant’s goal of becoming a Lawrence original. “I don’t think there is anything quite like it in Lawrence,” Pilgrim said.

For one thing, it may be the only restaurant in town that has about a hundred people living directly above it. Pilgrim thinks a restaurant that intersects with where people live is going to have a bit of a different feel than an ordinary restaurant and bar.

As for the food, that’s being handled by the other two partners in the business: David Lewis, the founder of the recently closed Milton’s restaurant; and longtime Lawrence chef Sula Teller, who also happens to be married to Pilgrim.

The menu has breakfast — which will be served from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. — lunch/dinner, and late-night options.

On the breakfast side, you’ll be able to get everything from “daily porridge” — no word on whether you have to share a table with a bear — to lots of take-out items like granola, breads and pastries to slightly more complex items like a frittata or apple frangipani, which are stuffed apples with roasted nuts, toast and butter. The place also will offer a full-line of coffees, including espressos and lattes.

Lunch and dinner items include a large dose of flatbreads and pizzas. The menu includes about a dozen pizza items, including classics such as sausage and pepperoni to ones such as sweet potato and speck ham. The menu also includes salads and soups.

The happy hour and late-night menu will include the pizzas, but also will have a variety of fruit and cheese trays, gourmet olives, and plates of smoked salmon and trout. Of course the hour wouldn’t be all that happy unless some adult beverages also were offered. The restaurant will have a well-stocked wine cellar, and the menu I’ve seen lists about 35 craft beers coming from as close as Free State Brewery to as far away as places such as California, Colorado, Canada and Belgium.

As I mentioned, the restaurant is rolling out its offerings in phases. Pilgrim told me many of the menu items are available today, but the full-line of offerings won’t be available until later this week.

Comments

The restaurant will have a well-stocked wine cellar.....................This implies an older established cellar with old favorites available. Is this the case or is it just more of the ordinary plunk that is already served downtown? It seems rather small from the street. I hope they can make it.

I don't have a list of the wines at the moment. I just know they were planning on making quality wine an emphasis, but of course, what do I know? I've been known to throw a wine and cheese party only to find out later that nacho cheese Doritos don't count as cheese in such situations. Thanks, Chad

No, not really. As we reported, he is very excited about this concept and he told me it is much what he originally envisioned when he opened Milton's years ago. I think the more interesting thing is why Milton's wasn't sold to another operator. Sources tell me David certainly was interested in that, and that there was interest from others. I'm not sure if the appropriate lease terms with the landlord — a company out of Alma — ever could be reached to allow that to happen, or what hurdles may have stopped a sale. I'm keeping my ears open for another user for the space, though. Thanks, Chad.

Why successful eateries like Milton' s, Cornacopia, Drake's and Parsadise close while operating and building a loyal following. In the case of Paradise, food quality had drifted downward during the last year of operation, probably could have revived with new leadership. Anyway, how could you take time and effort to build a business and just walk away from it without any contingency. The Milto's closing story sure sounds fishy.